A very interesting read about the rise n fall of IH

[jmc]

International Harvester Company The Rise and Fall of a Monopoly - Blog - Intelligent Fanatics

I grew up in Ft Wayne and had many family members including myself work there..

I grew up N of Ft. Wayne until 1970 and many from our town commuted down to Harvester. The best major employers in Ft Wayne were Harvester, Dana, and GE, in about that order. Classmates who had a parent who worked at those companies, and if you finished high school, had an up in getting in at them.

Sad about Harvester shutting down in FW. Had a high school buddy whose dad was a union official there. I got an earful about management and even as a teenager, their rhetoric seemed overly confrontational. Never heard management's case though. Fast forward, my buddy's Harvester apprenticeship was shut down and he ended up working in a grocery store. Operations were sent to Columbus, OH and employees from FW who were just short of retirement had to schlep over to OH for the workweek and come home for the weekend. Looking back as an adult, I wonder if a little less testosterone on both sides woulda ended better.

 

[Hay Dude]

Last tractor IH made

 

[LouNY]

It was a shame to see IH go down,
however when it first became CIH and they came out with the 7100 series Magnums and then the 7200's they were extremely good tractors.
I believe that they will achieve the same status as the 1066 and 1086 have.

 

[RickB]

It was a shame to see IH go down,
however when it first became CIH and they came out with the 7100 series Magnums and then the 7200's they were extremely good tractors.
I believe that they will achieve the same status as the 1066 and 1086 have.

In the eyes of many they have.

 

[Hay Dude]

It was a shame to see IH go down,
however when it first became CIH and they came out with the 7100 series Magnums and then the 7200's they were extremely good tractors.
I believe that they will achieve the same status as the 1066 and 1086 have.

The Boxcar Magnums are better, IMO :2cents:

 

[Bearsixty7]

Grew up driving these models here. started when I was about 7 best I can determine from older sisters input, Dad said I was raking hay at 5 but I think I would have been too small.



View attachment IH574_01.jpg

Found the article interesting.

 

[super55]

There were so many great companies that have slowly eroded and disappeared and all had market corners. IH- tractors, Allis Chalmers/Gleaner-combines, Oliver and ford dearborn for plows. They all made good products in my opinion but in certain areas they flat out excelled. I love watching all the old promo videos of these on youtube.

 

[Hay Dude]

There were so many great companies that have slowly eroded and disappeared and all had market corners. IH- tractors, Allis Chalmers/Gleaner-combines, Oliver and ford dearborn for plows. They all made good products in my opinion but in certain areas they flat out excelled. I love watching all the old promo videos of these on youtube.

New Idea made some unique farm equipment.
Oliver was the most forward thinking company in American agriculture history, if you ask me.

 

[lilranch2001]

Other than style, I would not know why.

Please tell us more. I really have very little knowledge about Oliver

 

[LouNY]

Other than style, I would not know why.

Please tell us more. I really have very little knowledge about Oliver

The Olivers were nice enough tractors, the worst thing in my mind was the transmissions hi lo selection method,
and the grill on the 100's 50's and 55's was something else, no need for a grill guard with them.
And if someone wants to amaze themselves crawl under an Oliver or White and check out the coupling between the transmission and rear end :tractor: